Park Impact Fees

Posted date: July 08, 2016

The City of Orlando has adopted a Park Impact Fee, a fee assessed on new residential (single family and multi-family) development that serves as a dedicated funding source to bring new parks and recreational facilities to benefit the residents of Orlando.

Why assess a Park Impact Fee?

The City prides itself in having planned for and provided our community with enhancements to our infrastructure to accommodate our community’s growth. We also take pride in offering the highest level of municipal services anywhere in the region.

Unfortunately, as our City has grown, the amount of community park space and recreational facilities available for our residents has not kept up with the City’s growth.

For example, in 2006, the ratio of community park space to residents was one acre for 196 residents. Today, the ratio is one acre for every 224 residents. The demand for more park space places an extra burden on our current community parks, with multipurpose athletic fields being in particularly high demand.

In addition, the City is expected to grow by 100,000 residents by the year 2040. Our Growth Management Plan requires 3.25 acres per 1,000 residents which equates to needing to add 325 acres of park space in the next 25 years.

The Park Impact Fee is a dedicated funding source to build new community parks, recreational facilities or make enhancements or additions to the green spaces in our community.

What is the fee?

The demand for new and enhanced parks increases as our residential population increases. As such, the fee is assessed on new residential development as follows:

$966 – Fee assessed for each newly constructed single family home.

$825 – Fee assessed for each newly constructed multi-family unit.

What will Park Impact Fee Revenue bring to the City’s residents?

Revenues collected from the Park Impact Fee will be used to help the City implement its Parks Vision Plan, a study the City completed with extensive resident input in 2010, that outlined potential new parks and the kinds of amenities that are in demand from our residents city-wide.

The Park Impact Fee cannot be used to replace any City funds currently being allocated for parks. The revenue collected can only be used to create new parks or recreation facilities, make enhancements to or expand existing parks and recreational facilities.

Do other jurisdictions in Central Florida charge a similar fee?

Many jurisdictions (cities and counties) in Central Florida assess a Park Impact Fee.

The City’s fees (at $966 and $825) are lower than Orange County ($972) and lower than the average fee assessed by other jurisdictions throughout the region ($1,160).

The fees are also much lower than a recently-completed Impact Fee Study which suggested the City assess a Park Impact Fee in the amount of $6,902 for each new single-family home and $5,893 for each new multi-family unit.

What is the effective date?

March 1, 2017 – Park Impact Fee becomes effective and will be assessed on all new residential permits issued. Permits submitted prior to March 1, but not issued, will be assessed a park impact fee at the rate in place at the time of building permit issuance. Residential development for which a foundation permit has been issued prior to March 1 is exempt from the impact fee even if a building permit for vertical work is issued on or after March 1.